Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Nova: "A nova power automatically targets and hits all enemy units (including Flyers and FMCs) within the psychic power's maximum range.... Otherwise, a nova is treated like a shooting attack."

Snap Shots: "Any shooting attack that does not use BS cannot be 'fired' as a Snap Shot."

Hard to Hit (FMC): "Shots resolved at such a target [a Swooping FMC] can only be resolved as Snap Shots...."
Hard to Hit (Flyer): no substantial difference

So novas do not have the specific permission to hit Swooping FMCs and Zooming Flyers, which would be required to override Snap Shots; they only have permission to hit things with unit type Flyer and FMC...just like every other weapon in the game.

To me RAI is clear enough that it hits them, since its completely unnecessary to say that it hits Hovering or Gliding models. Pointing out Flyers and FMCs here shows intent to me.

Novas are treated as shooting attacks (which mostly means you take casualties from the closest to the point of origin and may look out sir).

They however automatically hit everything in range, not rolling to hit at all. Since they do specifically say they hit flyers and FMC's within the powers range then we dont really have a delima here.

RAW is clear, they hit flyers and FMC.

are you a flyer? you are hit.

are you a FMC? you are hit.

novas absolutely do have specific permission to hit FMC and flyers. You quoted it even.

you even quoted

"Otherwise, a nova is treated like a shooting attack" meaning that all the stuff before that statement is outside of the normal allowance of shooting rules, ie we are told NOVAs hit flyers/fmc without any rolling even though this is not normally allowed by shooting attacks.

The Nova power rule, which you quoted, explicitly states it hits flyers and swooping FMCs. That is all the justification it needs.

 Elric Greywolf wrote:
So novas do not have the specific permission to hit Swooping FMCs and Zooming Flyers, which would be required to override Snap Shots; they only have permission to hit things with unit type Flyer and FMC...just like every other weapon in the game.

And unlike every other weapon in the game, Novas have permission to hit those unit types automatically. It does not care whether the unit type is Zooming or Swooping.

They hit Flyers/FMC regardless of what mode they're in. Thats why the rule is written as it is.

But wouldn't we say that "Flyer" is less specific than "Zooming Flyer"?
Therefore, while we have permission to hit a Flyer, we would need explicit wording that says we may hit a Zooming Flyer, because we must override the Hard to Hit rule.

 Elric Greywolf wrote:
Nova: "A nova power automatically targets and hits all enemy units (including Flyers and FMCs) within the psychic power's maximum range.... Otherwise, a nova is treated like a shooting attack."

Snap Shots: "Any shooting attack that does not use BS cannot be 'fired' as a Snap Shot."

Hard to Hit (FMC): "Shots resolved at such a target [a Swooping FMC] can only be resolved as Snap Shots...."
Hard to Hit (Flyer): no substantial difference

So novas do not have the specific permission to hit Swooping FMCs and Zooming Flyers, which would be required to override Snap Shots; they only have permission to hit things with unit type Flyer and FMC...just like every other weapon in the game.

I would change the section for hard to hit flyer. There IS a substantial difference. Hard to hit flyer says that any attacks that do not roll to hit CANNOT affect a zooming flyer. Therefore novas may still hit a swooping MC but not a zooming flyer. This change also allows blasts to scatter onto swooping MCs and hurt them but they cannot be the focus of the blast. A scattering blast Cannot hurt a zooming flyer though because it does not roll to hit.

So you're told to target flyers, but aren't targeting the flyer?

 Elric Greywolf wrote:
But wouldn't we say that "Flyer" is less specific than "Zooming Flyer"?
Therefore, while we have permission to hit a Flyer, we would need explicit wording that says we may hit a Zooming Flyer, because we must override the Hard to Hit rule.

It probably should to do something.

Only RAIs I can think of is;

1. Throwback of old rules Jotww and Novas cylinder range- aka yes it can hit things that are not on the ground.

2. Can hit zooming / swooping.

I believe most people play the former.

Except we already have permission to hit Flyers/FMCs normally, so either the rule does absolutely nothing as it is redundant, or GW intended that it hit Swooping FMCs/Zooming Flyers and neglected to add a key word.